Latest MacBook News

After spending hundreds of dollars on a brand new iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, you may be debating whether it's really worth it to put additional money towards an AppleCare+ plan for your shiny new device.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but the short version is that AppleCare+ for iPhone is generally worth the investment. The long answer depends on many factors, such as the type of damage and how careful you are.

What is AppleCare+?
AppleCare+ is an optional warranty plan that extends an iPhone's warranty coverage to two years from the original purchase date of the device, and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $29 for screen damage, or $99 for any other damage.

AppleCare+ for iPhone also provides 24/7 priority access to AppleCare advisors via online chat or phone for up to two years after the device's original purchase date. Without the plan, iPhone owners are covered by a limited one-year warranty and an initial 90 days of complimentary telephone support.

• Scenario A — Your Screen Cracks
Apple charges $149 for an iPhone 8 screen repair and $169 for an iPhone 8 Plus screen repair in the United States. There's also a $6.95 shipping fee if you need to send the iPhone to an Apple repair facility.

AppleCare+ is $121 cheaper for iPhone 8 and $151 cheaper for iPhone 8 Plus for any other kind of damage.

Is AppleCare+ Worth It?
AppleCare+ will save you at least $120 if the rear glass on your iPhone shatters even once. If you plan on using your iPhone without a case, and think you might drop it, then it's a worthwhile investment. If you are using a protective case, however, the rear glass should be able to withstand drops from reasonable heights.

AppleCare+ is less worthwhile if you damage your screen, as you can expect to roughly break even. But, the person who has AppleCare+ would still have a second incident of accidental damage coverage if they ever need it, plus 24/7 priority access to technical support via online chat or phone.

Since it only takes one accident to pay for itself, if not save you money, many users feel AppleCare+ is ultimately worth it. And if you're super careful and never end up needing it, two years of 24/7 priority access to technical support is still a nice perk.

One week after being released to the public, iOS 11 is installed on 25.28 percent of iOS devices, according to data collected by analytics company Mixpanel.

Over the course of the last week, iOS 11 adoption has expanded by just 15 percent, as 10 percent of people already had the update installed 24 hours after launch. With iOS 11 adoption growing, iOS 10 is now installed on 67.83 percent of devices, while 6.89 percent of devices continue to run an earlier version of iOS.

iOS 11 adoption rates are much slower than iOS 10 adoption rates during the same time period last year. A little under a week after iOS 10 launched, it was already on 34 percent of devices.

The iOS 11 update has not been affected by installation issues like iOS 10 was, but there have been some reports of app slowdowns and performance drops, which could potentially be holding people back from installing until a later date.

Apple also delayed several key iOS 11 features, including peer-to-peer Apple Pay and iCloud storage for iMessages, another reason that some users might not yet be inspired to download new software.

Apple this morning released the first update to iOS 11, iOS 11.0.1, which includes a fix for a significant email bug that was affecting customers who used Microsoft email services.

Though iOS 11 adoption is slow, it wildly outpaces the adoption rates of new Android software. Android Oreo, released in August, isn't even listed on the Android Developer site, while Android Nougat, the previous-generation version of Android, is only installed on a total of 15.8% of devices.

The majority of Android devices continue to run Android Marshmallow and Lollipop, software that's now two to three years old.

There's a notable sale on Apple devices going on this week at Best Buy, offering those on the hunt for new MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and iPads the chance to save between $100 and $350 on Apple's devices.

The largest selection of devices marked down is the mid 2017 iPad Pro in both 10.5- and 12.9-inch versions, all Wi-Fi only. The cheapest model is the 10.5-inch iPad Pro with 64GB at $549.99, down from $649.99; the 256GB version is $699.99, down from $799.99; and the 512GB version is $899.99, down from $999.99. For the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, you can grab the 64GB at $699.99, the 256GB at $849.99, and the 512GB at $1,049.99, all with similar $100 discounts and in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray colorways.

In other deals news, we're continuing to keep an eye out on discounts for some of the best Qi inductive wireless charging pads, which iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus users can use right now to charge their smartphones. Prices and availability have fluctuated since we made our original roundup, but as of today here's a list of some of the cheapest accessories from reliable third-party companies:

For a discount on a charging mat that supports the iPhone 8 and upcoming iPhone X, RAVPower has given MacRumors readers the chance to get exclusive savings on its Qi wireless charging pad. When purchased on Amazon, you can get 15 percent off the $49.99 accessory, marking it down to $42.49, by using the promo code Rumors15 during checkout. This discount expires October 15.

Anyone looking for quality audio editing software should also check out Rogue Amoeba's 15-year anniversary sale, which is running this week and ends Saturday, September 30. All of Rogue Amoeba's apps are marked down by 15 percent during this period, and through a special scratch-off you have the chance to boost your discount by 1.33x, 1.67x, 2x, 3x, or 4x. Some of the company's Mac apps include Audio Hijack, Fission, Airfoil, and more.

Head over to our Deals Roundup for more of the latest discounts occurring this week, including 50 percent off JBL's Pulse 2 Bluetooth speaker at Amazon, ongoing sales on Apple Watch Series 2 models at B&H Photo, and more.

As many of you know, MacRumors has a YouTube channel that's been steadily growing over the course of the past few years, and we're searching for a new full-time video producer who can help us take our channel to the next level.

If you're familiar with making YouTube videos, love Apple products and know a lot about them, have an engaging and upbeat personality, and have a wealth of ideas on intriguing and fun ways to highlight Apple-related news, this could be the job for you.

This is a work from home position, and we're looking for someone who already has video equipment on hand and knows how to use it to make videos of the caliber that are already on MacRumors' YouTube channel.

The right person will be able to produce videos, star in those videos, and come up with ideas for videos in collaboration with our editorial team.

We are looking for a full-time video producer, and while the job will typically require traditional full-time hours, after-hours work is necessary on occasion for breaking news, Apple events, and major software releases. Travel to events like CES may also be required every so often.

If this sounds like it might be a good fit for you, we'd love to hear from you! Please email us at jobs@macrumors.com with details about you and some examples of video content you've created, and we'll get back to you with more information about the position. An already-existing YouTube channel and experience creating Apple-related tech videos is a huge plus!

The Food and Drug Administration today announced that it has selected nine companies to join its voluntary Pre-Cert pilot program, which is designed to foster innovation through the creation of a less restrictive regulatory framework that will lead to faster acceptance of health-related software and, in some cases, products.

With its program, the FDA is aiming to create a more tailored approach toward digital health technology by looking at the software developer rather than the product to establish a firm-based pre-certification program for these digital health tools. The companies accepted to the program will be reviewed for software design, validation, and maintenance and to determine if they meet the FDA's quality standards for pre-certification.

Companies who have been pre-certified may be able to submit less information to the FDA before marketing a new digital health tool, speeding up the approval of new services and technologies. The FDA is also considering allowing pre-certified companies to avoid submitting products for premarket review in some situations.

As part of the program, Apple will provide the FDA with access to the measures it use to develop, test, and maintain software products. Apple has agreed to allow visits from FDA staff and offer information about its quality management system."Our method for regulating digital health products must recognize the unique and iterative characteristics of these products," said Dr. Gottlieb. "We need to modernize our regulatory framework so that it matches the kind of innovation we're being asked to evaluate, and helps foster beneficial technology while ensuring that consumers have access to high-quality, safe and effective digital health devices. These pilot participants will help the agency shape a better and more agile approach toward digital health technology that focuses on the software developer rather than an individual product."For Apple, this program could be a major boon as it has several digital health-related tools like Health, CareKit, and ResearchKit, and FDA approval is likely one of the major roadblocks to releasing new health-related products that are rumored to be in the works, such as some kind of device for monitoring blood glucose.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that Apple does not want to put the Apple Watch through the FDA approval process, but should the program go well, Apple may also have fewer regulations to contend with when it comes to the future of the Apple Watch, which could allow for new, more advanced health-monitoring capabilities.

Uber today introduced a new feature for its iOS app that allows drivers to provide feedback when giving a rider a rating of less than five stars.

As outlined by The Verge, drivers are now asked "what went wrong" when providing a four star rating or lower. Drivers can then choose from reasons like wait time, patience, number of riders, attitude, wanted a new route, or other.

Riders who get two of the same rating tags in a 30 day period will receive a notification letting them know about the low ratings and the reason why.

Uber is also changing the way its UberPool service works in an effort to make the feature less stressful for drivers. UberPool allows passengers to choose a cheaper fare, but it's a shared ride with the potential for several passenger pickups.

For UberPool rides, drivers will now receive an additional flat fare for each passenger picked up, and Uber says it is planning to pay much of the added cost for the trips through a service fee reduction. Riders will not pay more for a trip even if there are additional pickups.

Uber in June launched a "180 Days of Change" initiative designed to improve working conditions for its drivers and bolster its public image, and today's changes are part of that effort. Uber has been introducing new driver features since then, starting with a long-desired in-app tipping option.

Plex today announced the launch of Plex News, a new personalized streaming news service that's available to Plex users. Plex News includes national, international, and local news from 190 providers like CBS News, CNN, A+J, IGN, Cheddar, Financial Times, Mic, and more.

Plex News is a free service and it does not require a Plex Pass or other subscription fee, but it is supported by ads. Over time, it learns about your interests based on news channels you choose to watch and those you choose to skip, providing a personalized news hub.

After opening up Plex, there's a "News" section that's been added to the home page, with a series of short news clips that you can flip through on a range of topics. A "Personalize News" feature lets you select a location and topics of interest to narrow down the selection of news sources that will be displayed. News can be browsed by category or from the home screen suggestions.

The new feature is built around Watchup, a news startup that Plex purchased earlier this year. Watchup, like Plex News, offered up a selection of news channels in one easy-to-watch location.

Plex says Plex News is rolling out to all users over the course of the next 48 hours, starting with Plex Pass subscribers first. It is available on Apple TV and iOS devices, along with Android TV, Nvidia Shield, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Android Mobile.

The Plex app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Apple today released the first official update to its new iOS 11 operating system, iOS 11.0.1. iOS 11.0.1 comes just a week after Apple released iOS 11 to the public.

The iOS 11.0.1 update can be downloaded to all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings --> General --> Software Update.

Today's update addresses several minor bugs that have been discovered following the release of the iOS 11 golden master. According to Apple's release notes the update includes bug fixes for iPhone and iPad.

iOS 11 is a major update to the iOS operating system with a redesigned Lock screen experience, a new customizable Control Center, a new Siri voice, a redesigned App Store, and an overhauled interface for the iPad. For more info on all the new features in iOS 11, check out our iOS 11 roundup.

When the iPhone X launches on November 3, initial supply of the smartphone available to purchase could be limited to around 12 million units, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst at Taipei-based Yuanta Investment Consulting.

Pu told Nikkei Asian Review that Foxconn likely manufactured around 2 million iPhone X devices in September. He said the number should increase to 10 million in October, and reach a total of 40 million by the end of the year, down from his original forecast of 45 million units earlier this year.

If accurate, that means there would be just over 12 million iPhone X handsets available to purchase when the device launches in under six weeks.

The report corroborates that the TrueDepth camera and facial recognition system is a major bottleneck for iPhone X production, as KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a research note earlier this week.Two executives working for iPhone suppliers told Nikkei Asian Review that 3-D sensor part makers are still struggling to reach a satisfactory level of output, and to boost their yield rate. This rate measures the number of usable or saleable units from a batch of components or final products produced. A low yield rate is likely to hurt a company's margins and bottom line.Reports about limited availability surrounding an iPhone launch surface every year, but rumors suggest the iPhone X might be even harder to get your hands on than a 256GB iPhone 7 Plus in Jet Black last year.

Apple Maps vehicles will begin surveying Scotland for the first time starting early next month.

Apple Maps vehicle via MacRumors reader Dieter A.
The sensor-laden vehicles will start collecting mapping data in Fort William, a town in the western Scottish Highlands, between October 9 and November 5, according to a recently updated list of driving locations on Apple's website.

For over two years, Apple has been driving vehicles around the world to collect data for Apple Maps—widely believed to be street-level imagery. Since 2015, the vehicles have surveyed over 35 states in the United States, in addition to parts of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.

Apple said it will blur faces and license plates on collected images prior to publication, suggesting that it could be working on adding a Street View feature to Apple Maps, similar to what Google Maps has offered for several years. But, the imagery and other mapping data could be used for a variety of purposes.

When Apple's fleet of Dodge and Mercedes-Benz vans first hit the streets, it was speculated they could be the basis of an Apple Car. But those rumors quieted down after the vans were labeled with Apple Maps decals, and because Apple has reportedly shifted towards autonomous driving software for now.

Some industry observers still believe the vans are at least partially related to Apple's autonomous driving project, but the evidence is inconclusive.

Apple so far has only confirmed that some of the data collected will be published in future Apple Maps updates.

Apple released the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus on Friday, September 22, and device teardowns were underway within hours, courtesy of iFixit and TechInsights. The firms received different models for teardown, with iFixit's model featuring a Qualcomm baseband while TechInsights' featured an Intel modem, continuing Apple's trend of opting for Intel modems in phones which do not require CDMA network support.

The baseband parts in each iPhone were revealed to be new chips from their respective vendors, with the CDMA phone featuring Qualcomm's new X16 gigabit-class modem and the Intel-based model featuring the similarly new XMM 7480 modem. Each model also included an update to the transceiver module to go along with the modem, but the functional changes in the RF signal chain mostly stopped there.

Qualcomm X16 and X12 feature comparison
In addition to higher peak speeds compared to their predecessors, both of these modems offer other potential benefits. Comparing the network compatibility pages of the iPhone 7 against the iPhone 8 shows that the bands supported are largely unchanged, and this is reflected in the small changes to the power amplifier modules (PAMs) found within the RF chain.

Besides gigabit-level peak theoretical speeds, the X16 modem brings several other advances, including up to 4x carrier aggregation for a total bandwidth of up to 80 MHz compared to the 60 MHz found in the MDM9645M (X12) powering the iPhone 7. Qualcomm's X16 modem also supports T-Mobile US's new 600 MHz LTE spectrum, Band 71. Apple does not list support for Band 71 on the model sold for use on T-Mobile, which means that either Intel's modem does not support it for the appropriate T-Mobile model or Apple elected not to include support for it in the phone's antenna/PAM structure.

Intel's XMM 7480 feature highlights
The Intel XMM 7480, by contrast, only has a maximum theoretical peak of 600 Mbps, and while it also supports up to 4x carrier aggregation, two of these channels are limited to 10 MHz, capping overall bandwidth at 60 MHz. Intel has boosted its band support to a total of more than 33, claiming an industry leading number, but there are likely other deficiencies compared to the Qualcomm modem which have been accepted due to Apple's desire to have supplier diversity for this component.

Regardless, it is clear that both of these modems are improvements over their predecessors, yet Apple dedicated no time to talking about advanced cellular capabilities for any of its phones in the media event earlier this month. Instead, the main reason for upgrading to these new modems likely lies in power consumption.

The teardowns have revealed that Apple has reduced the size of the batteries in the iPhone 8 lineup while maintaining battery life claims across the board. The squeeze on the iPhone X will be even worse, given Apple's claims of iPhone 8 Plus-like battery life in a non-Plus type form factor. While there are several other advancements likely behind the scenes there, it seems clear Apple wanted to get more efficient in its cellular radio chains.

This will also be an area to watch in the iPhone X, as the cellular RF chain is one of the biggest consumers of space in the phone. According to its spec page, the iPhone X will support the same bands across two models as its 8-branded brethren, so space may have to come from elsewhere.

The advancements in baseband modem power efficiency likely come from two different sources for Qualcomm and Intel. The X16 is built on a 14nm FinFET process according to Qualcomm, which likely has several advantages over the 28nm RF process utilized in its previous modems.

Intel, on the other hand, claims up to 15 percent lower power usage compared to its previous-generation modem, which could be thanks in part to the newly included envelope tracker for voltage control, which reduces power usage and heat. While it is not clear which process Intel's modem is built on, it seems likely it is still a 28nm process from TSMC, as Intel still works on the technology lineage from its Infineon acquisition. Nevertheless, future iPhones will be well-positioned to include higher bandwidth and more diverse network capabilities in the future, even if the modems they use stay the same.

Instagram has grown from 700 million total users in April 2017 to 800 million, as confirmed by parent company Facebook during an event in New York City this week (via CNBC). Of those 800 million total users, 500 million are opening the app and using it every day, compared favorably to Snapchat's 173 million DAUs that the Instagram rival reported earlier in August.

As it celebrates this milestone, Instagram today announced a few new community-focused comment moderation features rolling out to public and private accounts, building upon the "safer and kinder" message that's been the focus of Instagram updatesover the past year. Now, whether your account is public or private, you'll be able to block any other account from commenting on your posts.

For public-only accounts, you'll have more granular options for choosing who can comment on your post: everyone, people you follow and your followers, people you follow, or just your followers. The company is also expanding languages that support its filter to block certain offensive comments -- in addition to English there will be support for Arabic, French, German, and Portugese.

Other safety-centric additions include anonymously providing mental health resources to someone on an Instagram live broadcast, and a new #KindComments campaign that includes real-life murals in various cities around the world, along with new stickers available in the app. The company has accumulated all of these features and messages into a website called Instagram Together.

Firefox today announced that the latest version of its web browsing software -- which it's calling "Firefox Quantum" instead of "Firefox 57" -- will be available as an update for users beginning November 14, with a beta of the browser hitting iOS, Android, and desktop today.

The company said that the biggest advantage of Quantum is its speed, which is twice as fast as Firefox 52 when measured using Speedometer 2.0, a benchmark that simulates modern web applications. Firefox said that Quantum takes advantage of multiple CPU cores offered by today's desktop and mobile devices, instead of running on just one core, resulting in a "dramatically faster" web browser.

The company updated a few other features so that Quantum runs smoothly, including making sure that the tab open on the browser downloads and runs prior to other tabs in the background. When compared to Chrome -- which Firefox directly compared itself to in a new video -- Quantum is said to be faster than Google's browser, "while consuming roughly 30 percent less RAM."

The user experience of Quantum has also been overhauled and enhanced through the company's Photon project, which tasked Firefox's design team to research and understand "how users perceive web browsers." The team's findings have resulted in a more "modern" design that's built for "task focused" users. Quantum also comes with more direct integration with read-it-later app Pocket, which Mozilla acquired last year.
The new, minimalist design introduces square tabs, smooth animations, and a Library, which provides quick access to your saved stuff: bookmarks, Pocket, history, downloads, tabs, and screenshots. Firefox Quantum feels right at home with today’s mouse and touch-driven operating systems: Windows 10, macOS High Sierra, Android Oreo, and iOS 11. Quantum will also continue to support Firefox's "Tracking Protection" privacy technology, which the company found to mitigate invasive tracking of online activity throughout various studies. Specifically, Firefox's technology demonstrated a 67.5 percent reduction in the number of cookies set to a user's browsing habits during a visit to 200 websites. These improvements also allow for performance enhancements, according to Firefox, reducing page load times by as much as 44 percent and lowering mobile data usage by 39 percent on the sites visited in the study.

Firefox encourages users to sign up to be notified regarding news about the new Quantum browser, which can be done on the company's website right here. Ahead of the November 14 public launch, developers can also download the Firefox Quantum: Developer Edition starting today.

The Apple TV 4K is currently listed as out of stock, but the fact that it has been added back is fueling speculation that Amazon may be prepared to launch its Prime Video app on the tvOS App Store imminently.

At its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple confirmed that Amazon Prime Video is coming to Apple TV later this year. At its iPhone X event earlier this month, it reiterated that release date.

Since hitting an all-time high of $164.94 on September 1, Apple's stock price has steadily declined throughout the month. Apple's closing price of $150.55 on Monday represents a nearly nine percent decline in just under four weeks.

Despite some negativity surrounding the stock, one Wall Street analyst believes the recent skid is a buying opportunity.

"We believe concerns around the strength of this cycle are misplaced and we would be aggressive buyers of the stock during this correction," said Brian White, a longtime Apple analyst at investment banking firm Drexel Hamilton.

White believes the staggered launch of the iPhone 8 and iPhone X is confusing industry observers, who are perhaps worried by reports of shorter lines at Apple retail stores and lower adoption rates of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

"We believe more consumers in the developed parts of the world will pass on the iPhone 8/8 Plus and buy the iPhone X," added White, in a research note obtained by MacRumors. "Those that are on the fence will likely wait to see the iPhone X."

White is one of the most bullish Apple analysts, with a lofty $208 price target for the iPhone maker. If the price were to rise that high, Apple would be over a trillion dollar company based on market capitalization.

Apple's current slide is holding back the Dow Jones, which is up around 1.5 percent since the start of September. But it's not the only tech stock in the red, as Amazon, Facebook, and Netflix all declined Monday.

By comparison, Apple's stock price was up nearly 5 percent over this same period in each of the past two years.

Rapper Post Malone has broken a new record on Apple Music, releasing a song -- "Rockstar" feat. 21 Savage -- that was streamed over 25 million times in a single week. Apple Music confirmed to The Verge that this officially beats the service's worldwide single week streaming record previously set by DJ Khaled's song "I'm the One."

According to Carl Chery, Apple Music's head of artist curation, Apple has been interested and supportive of Post Malone even prior to the launch of the company's first streaming service, Apple Music. Once Apple Music did launch, Post Malone's "Rockstar" got "prime placement" on some of the most-listened-to hip-hop playlists, including The A-List, It's Lit, and #OnRepeat, helping increase Post Malone's presence on Apple Music.

Chery said that the reason behind the support of "Rockstar" is a simple one: "If we like it, we support it."
Post Malone has shattered Apple Music’s single week streaming record with over 25 million streams of his new single “Rockstar” feat. 21 Savage, the streaming service tells The Verge. The previous record holder for worldwide single week streams was “I’m the One” by DJ Khaled.

“We just have a long history of supporting Post Malone, even before he got signed. ‘White Iverson’ was being heavily supported in iTunes — that song is old enough that Apple Music wasn’t even live yet. We were supporting him heavily back then, and we did the same thing with the Stoney project last year,” Chery says. “The process is pretty simple for us, if we like it, we support it.” In total Apple Music grabbed 56 percent of the first week streams of "Rockstar" in the United States, and 41 percent worldwide, despite the single being released on multiple streaming services. Apple has been able to acquire large portions of the streaming market for other songs in the past, particularly Drake's "More Life" earlier this spring, and Chery said that this is because the company is "ahead of the curve on them."

The Apple Music executive explained that he heard "Rockstar" pre-release and "knew immediately" how much it would gain traction with fans, allowing the team to place it in the right playlists the week it was released, and grow from there.
“A lot of times on those records where we outperform is because we’re ahead of the curve on them, Chery says.” Chery told me he heard "Rockstar" before it was released and knew immediately that it would be a hit, allowing Apple to move fast and add it to the relevant playlists in the first week. “And to a point, Apple Music becomes the destination where people want to hear that particular record,” Chery said. Other previous Apple Music streaming records include Drake's album "Views," which became the first album on Apple Music to be streamed more than 1 billion times. Apple is continuously adding content into Apple Music to bolster its subscribers and retain current users, most recently introducing a new social element to the "For You" tab on iOS and macOS, generating even more music discovery among friends and family.

iFixit has shared an Apple TV 4K teardown, providing a closer look at the device's internal design and components.

We already know the Apple TV 4K is equipped with Apple's 64-bit A10X Fusion chip, and now the teardown confirms the device has a total of 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM supplied by South Korean company SK Hynix.

1GB + 2GB of LPDDR4 RAM outlined in yellow for a total of 3GB of RAM
The new power supply is rated for 12V at 1.083A, a modest increase over the 0.917A power supply in the fourth-generation Apple TV.

According to the teardown, Apple merged the new fan with the heat sink/EMI shield assembly from the fourth-generation Apple TV to create a larger thermal assembly for cooling and ventilation.

iFixit said the bottom of the unit has been redesigned with a total of eight exhaust ports and a new, replaceable fan driven by a Nidec brushless motor.

Beyond the return of a Gigabit Ethernet port and the removal of the USB-C diagnostic port, which we learned about before the teardown, the Apple TV 4K's design is largely the same as the previous Apple TV.

Apple TV 4K has no USB-C port
iFixit gave the Apple TV 4K a repairability score of 8 out of a possible 10 points. The device is easy to open and has modular components, but they're soldered to the logic board, so board-level soldering or full board replacements are required.

Amazon has updated its Amazon Music iOS app so that its Alexa virtual assistant can now be used to play songs and discover new artists. After installing the update, users in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Austria can ask Alexa to play music by genre, decade, mood, tempo, activity, and even lyrics.

The feature is activated from the app interface using a new Alexa button, which has been designed to feel like a natural extension to asking Alexa smart speakers around the home to play music, while aiding users who aren't using two hands to interact with their phone.

Alexa is capable of responding to commands like "play the song of the day" or "play music for studying", adding an extra level of discoverability to Amazon Music when using the iOS app. As noted by The Verge, music companies are also reportedly investigating whether Alexa can be leveraged to make Amazon's music services more competitive, with song metadata like tagging and categorization being seen as potential entry points for more sophisticated voice-activated music features.

Set to launch in December, Apple's $350 HomePod smart speaker uses Siri to enable similar voice-activated commands, which Apple hopes users will come to view as an intelligent "virtual DJ" that can learn and adapt to their musical tastes.

Previously unconfirmed details about the internal specifications of Apple's iPhone X appear to have been revealed on China's official communications certification board, including the device's system memory, CPU clock speed, and battery capacity.

First spotted this morning by mobile leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer, the filing with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center (TENAA) lists the iPhone X as having a 2,715mAh battery. For reference, the iPhone 8 is believed to have a 1,821mAh capacity battery.

The step up in battery capacity is probably a direct result of the iPhone X's OLED screen, a display technology that despite usually requiring less energy than an equivalent LCD panel, probably draws more overall power because of its 5.8-inch size (iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens, respectively).

— Steve H. (@OnLeaks) September 26, 2017
The TENAA listing also gives the A11 Bionic chip a 2.4GHz clock speed and says the handset is backed by 3GB of RAM, two details that are believed to conform with the iPhone 8 Plus.

iPhone X pre-orders officially begin on October 27 and in-store availability is expected on November 3, although rumors suggest the device will be in short supply until early 2018.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are more expensive for Apple to manufacture than the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, according to component cost estimates research firm IHS Markit shared today with Bloomberg.

An entry-level iPhone 8 with 64GB of storage costs Apple an estimated $247.51 in raw materials, an increase of almost $10 compared to the $237.94 it cost Apple to make last year's 32GB iPhone 7.

The 64GB iPhone 8 Plus costs an estimated $288.08, up from $270.88 for the iPhone 7 Plus.

Image from iFixit's recent iPhone 8 teardown
To compensate for the increased cost, Apple charges $699 for the 64GB iPhone 8 in the United States, up from the $649 starting price it charged for the 32GB iPhone 7 in 2016. The iPhone 8 Plus is priced starting at $799, up from $769 in 2016."The added value went to memory, camera, and processing. That's where we can materially identify where they've improved the overall product, and hence why they can command a higher price for it," according to Wayne Lam, an analyst at IHS.According to Bloomberg, some of the most expensive components in the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus include the screens and the mechanical enclosures. Apple's new glass-bodied devices are built around a strong internal frame and include new displays with True Tone support.

IHS's component costs are only estimates of what the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus cost to manufacture, and sometimes those estimates are not spot on. For example, while IHS told Bloomberg cost $237.94 to manufacture an iPhone 7 in 2016, its initial estimates following the iPhone 7's release were at $219.80.

These estimates also only look at raw component costs and do not take into account other iPhone manufacturing expenses like research and development, software creation, advertising, and distribution, so this information, while interesting, is not an accurate measurement of Apple's profit margin for the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus.

Back in 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that cost breakdowns are generally "much different than the reality." "I've never seen one that is anywhere close to being accurate," he added.Discuss this article in our forums